Furrow-gage.



g a G @WIII\I W g Q g E. B. WILLS.

FURROW GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1912.

1,074,763. Patented 0015.7, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

16 50 p 16 WT 36 Eff- 115 I 7 I d B [M5,

E. B. WILLS.

PURROW GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18, 1912.

Patented 0013. 7, 1913.

H TITS-SHEET 2 inn/Enlar- 5707 m" Bl I725.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAFH 60.,WASHINGTON, D. C.

NT FIG.

EDGAR IB, WILLS, CF MENDOTA, ILLINOIS.

FURROW-GAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

Application filed April 18, 1912. Serial No. 691,559.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR B. Wrnns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mendota, in the county of Lasalle and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F urrow-Gages, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a device which is used to regulate thedepth which the shovel of a grain planter enters the ground, whereby thedepth of planting is regulated in accordance with the kind of seed beingplanted and other conditions.

The objects of the. present invention are to arrange the wheels inoblique relation to the shovels of the planter, so that the dirt thrownoutward by the shovels will not clog or mat between the shovels and thegage wheels; to provide means for adjusting said gage wheels withrespect to the ground line by a simple operation; to provide a shieldfor preventing the entrance of dirt into the bearings of the wheels, andto utilize this shield as a locking washer for holding the wheels inposition upon the trunnions; to provide a cheap and simple scraper forthe wheels, which will create but a relatively slight amount offriction, and which will be readily and easily adjustable when desired;and to provide a framework supporting said gage wheels, which isadjustable longitudinally of the shovels, and to arrange said adjustingmechanism so that a slight adjustment can be made without a removal ofany of the locking parts.

The invention further consists in the features of construction and inthe combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed. V

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the furrow gage ofthe present invention in operative position upon a planting machine;Fig. 2, a plan view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a vertical section through the supporting frame for said wheels, showing one of thewheels in section and the other in elevation; Fig. 4, a detail showingthe connection between the framework carrying the wheels and the mainsupport therefor; Figs. 5 and 6, details of the combined locking washersand shields of the present invention; Fig. 7, a side elevation of thescraper mechanism and the supporting means therefor; and Fig. 8, asection on line 88 of Fig. 7

In the art to which the present nv ntion relates, means of various kindshave been employed which regulate the depth which the shovels of theplanter enter the earth, thereby regulating the depth of the furrow intowhich the seed is dropped. Difficulty has been experienced with thesedevices in that the earth as it is turned back by the shovels will clogor accumulate between the wheels and shovels, owing to the necessaryclose proximity of the wheels to the sides of the shovel; and suchclogging is undesirable because it interferes materially with theprogress of the machine over the ground. In the present invention, thefurrow gages are so positioned as to efliciently accomplish their work,and at the same time are so arranged as to provide sufficient spacebetween the shovels and gages to permit the earth to fall away from theshovels in a free and easy manner and eliminate the objectionablefeature of dirt clogging between the shovels and wheels.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the device is shown as applied toan ordinary corn planter, having a frame 9, with the boot 10 dependingtherefrom, and the shovels 11 at the lower end of the boot. Theconstruction and arrangement of the foregoing mentioned parts can be'ofany suitable style which is adapted to accomplish the work of anordinary planting machine. Lying upon opposite sides of the boot arebars 12, which are held clamped against the sides of the boot bysuitable locking members 13; and these bars extend forward and are hungbetween the shovels adjacent the upper end thereof, as indicated at 1 1,or in any other suitable manner desired.

Attached to the bars 12, through the medium of suitable locking members15, is a supporting frame 16, which has rigidly connected theretosuitable bearings or hubs 17, which, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3,are arranged upon opposite sides of the shovels. A series of holes 18are provided in the bars 12, each of which holes is adapted to receiveone of a series of locking members 15. By removing the locking membersand positioning the frame at difierent points along the bars 12, thegage wheels can be placed at any desired vdistance with respect to theshovels, since the bearings and wheels will be moved with the frame. Twoof the holes 18 are elongated, as indicated at 19 in Fig. 4:. When thelocking members 15 are in hese latter holes, the frame 16 can undergoslight adjustments without removal of the locking members. This would beaccomplished simply by loosening the locking members and sliding theplates until said members reach an end of the slots 19, and thentightening the locking members in p0-- sltion.

The bearings 17 are adapted to receive trunnions 20, which are clearlyillustrated in,

as indicated in Fig. 2. In order to have the wheels rest squarely uponthe ground, it is necessary to bevel the rim of the wheels in the mannershown, and when constructed this way they will have a firm and solidbearing upon the earth so as to effectively perform the functions of agage wheel and at the same time they will be spread or set apart asi'ifiicient distance from the sides of the shovels so that the dirtthrown from the shovels will not congestbetween the shovels and wheel.

As the wheels are illustrated in the drawings, they are set a somewhatfarther distance apart than they would probably be in actutal practice,since for clear illustration of the Various parts it was not advisableto crowd the wheels too closely to the frame. It will be readilyunderstood, however, that the wheels can be set sufliciently close tothe shovels to effectively perform the gaging operation and at the sametime leave sufficient space between the shovels and wheels for the dirtto escape. It is desirable in devices of this kind toflocate the wheelsrelatively close to the shovels, since if they were spread away from theshovels any marked distance the irregularity of the ground over whichthey were running might be such that the wheels would be riding upon aridge and the shovel lying in a depression, and hence would not enterthe ground and perform their furrow making operation. When thewheels arearranged in close proximity to the shovel, however, the ground which theshovel is traversing will be of the same nature as that over which thewheels are passing, and the wheels and shovels willrise and fall inuniformity.

The wheels22 revolve upon a bushing 23, and said wheels are maintainedagainst longitudinal movement upon the trunn'ions through the medium ofan inner locking Washer 24: and an outer locking washer 25.

The inner washer is shown more clearly in Fig. 6 and consists of armg-hke portion 26, having sultable openings therem to receive' alocking member, and a hood or shield like portion 27, the outer end ofwhich abuts against the face of the wheel. This shield or hood preventsthe dirt which .may drop off the wheel from above the bearing thereoffrom entering the bearings and impairing the easy running of the wheel.The outer locking washer-is provided with a similar hood or shield- 27,as shown in Fig; 8, and this outer washer is further provided with anupwardly extending standard or support 28, which has a slot 29 adjacentits upper end through which extends: a suitable locking member toconnect a plate 30 therewith; This plate 7 3 0 is'bent, as will be seenfromrFi'g's. 3 and 8, so as to overlie the periphery of the wheel, andthe plate has its upper face formed in the construction shown, withgrooves 31,

which receive rods 32; and the rods are held in place upon the platethrough the medium of a cap-piece 33 and bo1ts'34. The rods '32 are bentat their end as indicated in Figs; 2 and 7 and these bent ends 35'engage with the periphery of the Wheels 22 at various distances acrossthe periphery and act as scraper mechanism to reniovelthe dirt or'otherdebris from the surface of the wheel. This scraper mechanism isespecially desirable, since it places only a relatively small surface inengagement with the periphery of the wheel, thus reducing the frictionincident to the action of the scrapers.

The rods can be moved longitudinally of themselves by loosening thebolts or locking members 34, so that when the ends 35 become worn, therods can be nfoved in th'eir holder to a position where the ends 35 willbe in proper engagement with the periphery of the wheel.

ening the locking members 13 and raising the bars 12, the wh'eelsjcan beadjusted by loosening the set screws or looking members 36, which arecarried by the bearings 17,

If it is not deemed desirable to adjust the height of the wheels byloos-f and rotating the trunnion's within said bearings to change theposition ofthe offset ends upon I which the gage wheels are mounted,whereby said wheels are raised or lowered as desired.

I claim:

1. In a deviceptthe class described, the

combination with the boot and shovel of a grain planter, ofwheels' uponopposite sides of the shovel, a framework supporting, said Iwheels,horizontally eitending bairs lying upon opposite sides of theboot,adjustable fastening means for holding said bars in place, each barhaving a series of alined holes therein, and fastening members carriedby said frame adapted to inserte through said hol'e's, two adjacent orsaid holes being elongated to permit limited adjustment of said framelon itudinally of the bar Without removal 0 the locking members fromposition, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a boot andshove] of a grain planter of a T-shaped casting having a bore throughits horizontal portion, bars arranged upon opposite sides of thevertical portion of the casting, an adjustable connection between saidbars and casting, means for securing one end of said bar to the boot andthe opposite end to the shovel, trunnions mounted in said bore, and gageWheels secured to said trunnions, substantially as described.

EDGAR B. WILLS.

Witnesses:

lVM. P. BOND, EPHRAIM BANNING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G."

